Washington sure could have used their ex-bullpen specialist last night. In a thrilling Mets come-from-behind 8-7 win over the Nationals, it was their former pitcher Tyler Clippard who came into pitch a huge scoreless 8th inning to help preserve a crucial Mets win.
Clippard may have been a little extra amped up before coming into this game to face his old team, but there was extra fuel to the fire after his last outing on Sunday in Miami. It was Clippard who blew a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning of that game, and later gave up the winning run in the 9th. His only blip on the radar since the Mets got him.
In six seasons with the Nationals from 2008-2014, Clippard was 34-24 and owned a 2.68 ERA. Since being acquired from the A’s, Clippard has six holds and two saves for the Mets with a 1.21 ERA and 0.851 WHIP in 22 appearances. Amazing.
Clippard retired every batter he faced in the eighth inning after Addison Reed pitched a scoreless seventh. Met killer Wilson Ramos flied out to center field to start the inning, and Clippard was able to then strikeout both Michael Taylor and Danny Espinosa to end the frame in dramatic style with loud cheers and fist-pumping coming from the Mets dugout.
With a bullpen that’s been sporadic at times as of late for this Mets team, Clippard has been for the most part a sure thing. Both he and Jeurys Familia pack a nice one-two punch in the eighth and ninth innings, a punch that most teams at this point would rather not have to face.
